Diana Ross’ new “Chic” LP, reviewed last week on import, is now out here (Motown STMA 8033) but add 1bpm to my original estimates (and the Temptations ‘Power’ on UK 12in is 126bpm) – in fact BPM differences caused simply by voltage variations between the times of doing them is giving me problems at the moment! . . . Johnny Guitar Watson’s B-side (on 7in anyway) is the slow ‘Jet Plane’ . . . BT Express and Cameo are both due now next week, but Cameo will be preceded for jocks by promo-only extra “special” versions . . . Invisible Man’s Band compared with the US original is so much brighter (even though 2bpm slower) that it sounds like a smash . . . George Duke’s rapid rather left-field rise is reminiscent of Azymuth . . . The Mexicano joins the “who shot JR” race with a 114bpm rapper called ‘Dallas’ . . . PEEL’s latest 4-track Sponsor-Disc finally has a disco-orientated jingle thanks to Foster Grant (the sunglasses one on telly) . . . Dartford Flicks’ VE Night wartime fancy dress party this Thursday (12) stars General Robbie Vincent, Catering Cpl Jeff Young, a real WWII searchlight outside, nostalgia on tape and guest surprises, the whole lot being videoed for showing again next week – now, where’s my gas mask?! . . . August Bank Holiday Saturday sees a 7000-capacity marquee going up at Skegness to house two major US jazz-funk acts (Colin Curtis tells me the Brothers Johnson are under negotiation) – what an original idea! . . . Mike Allen takes over Greg Edwards’ Capital soul show for a few weeks this Saturday . . . Ilford Room At The Top wants an experienced local club-orientated jock for extra work there, no time wasters, call Terry Hooper on 01-478 5588 (club hours) . . . Rob Harknett’s Danish DJ friend needs a British jock with “crazy” chat who’ll get room and evening meal as well as a good wage, send demo tape to White Corner, 7700 Thisted, Denmark . . . Chris Britton’s drink/record company-subsidised promotional disco tour still has a few vacant dates, call 0494-451797 and be amazed at the low asking price . . . Fatman’s jockette friend Nicky Mackenzie wants more London club work three nights a week (01-351 1624) while her flatmate had a mystery visitor – no, say no more! . . . Chris Klopper, whose Funkannection show works around West/Mid-Kent, wants to get up-front funk gigs slightly further afield (Goudhurst 211229 evenings) . . . Gordon Hart & Colin Dalton plead for more hip funksters so they can improve the music at Charing Cross Griffin Tavern’s dive bar in Villiers Street, Tues-thru-Fridays . . . Sammy DeHavilland reports a healthy clan scene growing at Halesowen Libertys on the jazz-funk Fridays, saying any Black Country funksters needing transport should contact him on 021-444 6593/7919 . . . Terry Lennaine’s recent busload of Merseysiders at Mayfair Gullivers was a lot of fun (they say they’ll be back regularly) – special hello’s to DJs John Hazelhurst & Steve Murphy, my tall friend Flora, and to Phil, Collette, Alan & Norman . . . Alan Jewell, chauffeur and dining companion of the stars, now mixes alongside Des Hill on Sat/Sundays at Finchley Road’s really lavishly redecorated Les Elites, where Terry Prince still does the other nights . . . BT Express ‘Funk Theory’ was of course originally a hit for Rokotto, who had a good laugh when they heard it recently! . . . Franklin Sinclair (Stretford) points out that Collins & Collins ‘You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good’ was originally on Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ ‘Wake Up Everybody’ LP . . . Larry Foster (Ilford Room At The Top) and Steve Wiggins (Barry Freddies Bar) both do a dance to ‘The Scratch’ in a fairly self-explanatory way, while Kev Hill (Brentwood) says the BT Express ‘Give Up The Funk’ “space invaders” dance (surely only a variation on the old Funky robot?) was being done in ‘74 to War’s ‘Me And Baby Brother’ – as Chris Hill says, if you look hard enough you’ll find Egyptian pyramid carvings that show every step ever invented! . . . Gary Oldis is delighted that he’s swung back to funk at Aycliffe Gretna Green club . . . Ashley Woods (Sleaford) says his pet python Clyde nearly escaped from his cage after getting into Breakwater ‘Release The Beast’! . . . Northampton Cinderella Rockerfella’s Jason Maine, aka Colin Prime, has had to find a painful new position so I’m told – for jocking, that is! . . . Mecca’s “mole”, Tina Lee should have been in her boxer shorts at the Stevenage forum . . . Steve Allen (Peterborough) asks, “wot about the Steve Allen of the ‘Benny Goodman Story’ fame?” . . . Phonogram’s Orin Cozier now says he’s “anyone’s man”, while the brat from PRAT confesses to being a pantie stealer – which seems highly likely! . . . Rod Bolam (Stevenage) recommends Manchester-based funkers the Reality Band and similarly Stevie Glover (Bournemouth) sez the local Blackwater Gold are dynamite, like a cross between Surface Noise and Hi-Tension (African Music Machine’s old ‘Blackwater Gold’ being their theme tune) – you can catch the latter every Sunday from July 6th at Bournemouth Maison Royale . . . Paul Lofthouse is the third DJ in Southampton’s Virgin spinning team . . . Mark Clark’s big Back Chat Roadshow backs the 208 jocks in Middlesbrough’s Albert Park this weekend . . . ‘And Justice For All’, a harrowing black comedy that’s not in itself an incredibly good movie, has a great jazz-funk score by Dave Grusin that should be on record . . . King Enri (Catford) has formed a rival mafia for fat DJs, the Flabby Fat Funkers DJA! . . . I’m on a diet! . . . Southampton University Bootsies points out the huge revival of disco in the charts, Erik-Jack (Bognor Regis) adding “disco is alive and well, it’s the record companies that are dead” . . . KEEP IT FUNKY!

COMMODORES: ‘Old Fashion Love’ (from LP ‘Heroes’, Motown STMA 8034)
With its expected share of pop slowies (‘Jesus Is Love’ sounding like the most obvious future biggie), the set’s first single will be in fact this pleasant, jerky 107-109 bpm harmony swayer, the 108-109-110 bpm ‘All The Way Down’ and 105(intro)-107-108-109 bpm ‘Sorry To Say’ being rather polite (and similar) funkers, ‘Celebrate’ a tripping 49-51/103 bpm semi-slow builder, while the muddled 119-122 bpm ‘Got To Be Together’ tries to do a Harold Melvin and the slinky 100-101-102 bpm ‘Mighty Spirit’ is the most interesting. ‘Brick House’ they ain’t.

DETROIT SPINNERS: ‘Cupid / I’ve Loved You For A Long Time’ (Atlantic K 11498) (BNDA debut 5/31/80)
Breezy 124 bpm 7in revival of Sam Cooke’s classic done in ‘Working My Way Back To You’ medley style and shooting up the US charts.

AURRA: ‘In The Mood (To Groove)’ (Salsoul SAL12-3) (BNDA debut 5/17/80)
Exciting bassily rolling fast beefy 127 bpm churner with chanting chaps ‘n chix now on UK 12in in what sounds more like its (short intro) LP version . . . and – what a goof! – amazingly the Mafia-preferred ‘When I Come Home’ is no longer the flip, a drossy 128 bpm ‘You’re The Only One’ replacing it. Stick with the import!

A TASTE OF HONEY: ‘Boogie Oogie Oogie’ (Capitol 8507) (BNDA debut 5/27/78)
Classic from ‘78 serviced to jocks ¡n its 120(intro)-126 bpm US 12in form, and I can’t make out if this US pressing is how it has (or indeed ever will) hit the shops again.

GINO SOCCIO: ‘I Wanna Take You There (Now)’ (from LP ‘S-Beat’, US RFC 3430) (BNDA debut 6/21/80)
‘Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)’-copying steady 121 bpm girlie group jittery thudder without an ounce of funk or soul – and oddly that old Jacksons hit always used to mix with Soccio’s old ‘Dancer’!

Related

The guy singing on the “gay ” “Glow of Love” by Change is of course the one and only Luther Vandross who was finally about to break out and become a soul superstar. Couldn’t be 1980 and not expect a mention of the TV event of the year, “Who killed J.R.” The media hype generated at the time all seems so tame and amateurish when compared to the slick campaigns of the 21st C. We were all so much simpler (and younger) back then. A look at the chart sees the continued dominance of “Jazz Funk”. The CHIC produced “DIANA” album by Miss Ross would go on to become the best selling of her career. Referring to a jock as a “panty stealler” jezus it really was a different time!!!!

What’s odd with all the references to the diana album is that there is no mention of the big stink there was over Chic having their work taken away from them and remixed by Motown (with some track lengths changing). I can’t recall where I read about this at the time, but I’d’ve thought JH would have been the source … apparently not!

I had no idea that Young & Co’s brilliant ‘I Like What You’re Doing To Me’ came out as early as June 1980 – it didn’t hit the UK singles chart until about six months later, as I recall. It was, of course, released in the UK on Calibre – the label managed by the aforementioned ‘panty stealer’ … presumably Morgan Khan?

A rare instance of JH ‘s categorisation of a tune puzzling me is why he calls Glow of Love gay – In every other case the term gay has the generally accepted meaning of any zingy poppy disco that came out after about 1978 and which a couple of years later became hi energy. This Change tune is nothing like it and aside from the fact that Luther Vandross was gay Ive never seen anything gay about it.
It seems I’m not alone in this as ive heard others on the Internet wonder why he called it this.

The only “gay” element of Glow Of Love is a single use of the word “gay” in the first verse – but even then, I think the word is being used in its traditional sense. If it isn’t, then I suppose the rest of the lyric could be interpreted as being about a gay relationship…

Flower’s bloomin’, mornin’ dew
And the beauty seems to say
It’s a pleasure when you treasure
All that’s new and true and gay

I doubt that JH would know about Luther Vandross sexuality at this point as LV was still a relatively unknown session singer whom he doesn’t even reference by name in the review. The Diana /Chic produced album controversy was mentioned by JH. She did have a reputation for being difficult to work with, Barry Gibb also clashed with the Diva during the sessions that produced Chain Reaction as did Michael Masser when working with her during the 70s. Apparently Nile Rodgers was the first person to tell her she was singing off key which went down like a cup of sick